Signs



7 Dec. 28, 1965 N. EDWARDS SIGNS Filed March 1, 1965 FIG.5.

United States Patent 3,225,477 SIGNS Lindell N. Edwards, St. Louis, Mo., assiguor to Commander Board International, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed Mar. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 436,133 6 Claims. (Cl. 40-142) This invention relates to improvements in signs. More particularly, this invention relates to improvements in interchangeable indicia for signs.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved interchangeable indicia for signs.

It is customary to provide signs with interchangeable indicia so the display provided by the indicia can readily and easily be changed; and, to facilitate the ready and easy changing of the interchangeable indicia, those indicia are usually equipped with resilient clips that can releasably engage projections on the surfaces of those signs. Those resilient clips are desirable, in that they permit ready securement of the interchangeable indicia to the projections on those signs and also permit ready separation of those interchangeable indicia from the projections on those signs. However, those resilient clips are objectionable in that they make it expensive to store and ship the interchangeable indicia. It would be desirable to provide interchangeable indicia which can be stored and shipped compactly and which can have resilient clips readily secured to them. The present invention provides such interchangeable indicia; and it is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide interchangeable indicia which can be stored and shipped compactly and which can have resilient clips readily and easily secured to them.

The interchangeable indicia provided by the present invention have brackets secured to the rear faces thereof, and those brackets define recesses which can readily accommodate portions of resilient clips. The brackets occupy very little space, and thus enable the interchangeable letters to be stored and shipped compactly. Those brackets define recesses which are large enough to easily and readily accommodate portions of resilient clips; and, as a result, the interchangeable indicia can be stored and shipped compactly, and can then have resilient clips easily and quickly assembled with them by having portions of those resilient clips inserted into the recesses defined by the brackets. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide interchangeable indicia for signs which have recess-defining brackets on the rear surfaces thereof that can accommodate portions of resilient clips.

The brackets on the rear faces of the interchangeable indicia provided by the present invention have tangs thereon, and those tangs can extend into openings or recesses in the feet of the resilient clips. As a result, when the feet of the resilient clips are inserted into the recesses defined by the brackets on the rear faces of the interchangeable indicia, the tangs on those brackets will engage the recesses or openings in the feet of those resilient clips and thereby prevent accidental separation of those resilient clips from those indicia. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide brackets on the rear faces of interchangeable indicia and to equip those brackets with tangs that will engage openings or recesses in the feet of resilient clips for those indicia.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention should become apparent from an examination of the drawing and accompanying description.

In the drawing and accompanying description a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown and described but it is understood that the drawing and accompanying description are for the purpose of illustration only and do not limit the invention and that the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

In the drawing, FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the rear face of one form of interchangeable indicia that is made in accordance with the principles of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is an elevational view, on a larger scale, of a portion of the rear face of the interchangeable indicia of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view through the portion of the interchangeable indicia shown in FIG. 2, and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line 33 in FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is another sectional view through the portion of the interchangeable indicia shown in FIG. 2, and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line 4-4 in FIG. 2, and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view, on a scale intermediate those of FIGS. 1 and 2, which shows a portion of the interchangeable indicia of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the numeral 20 generally denotes an interchangeable indicia which can be used with a sign. That indicia has openings 22 therein, and it has the left-hand edge thereof formed with indentations so the said indicia defines the letter B. However, that indicia could be made as any letter of the alphabet, any numeral, any punctuation mark, any symbol, or any combination of letters, numerals, punctuation marks and symbols. That indicia is preferably made thin, and it preferably has a flange 23 at the edge thereof which inclines rearwardly from the front face of that indicia. That flange will stiffen the indicia, will provide an attractive and ornamental edgeeffect for that indicia, and will also form a shallow recess that is generally coextensive with the rear surface of that indicia. Where, as is the case with the indicia 20, openings are provided in that indicia, the edges of those openings will preferably be provided with flanges that are generally similar to the flange 23.

The numeral 24 generally denotes brackets which are secured to the rear face of the indicia 20. Each of those brackets is generally rectangular in configuration, and each of those brackets has an offset portion 26 of generally rectangular configuration. That offset portion will coact with the adjacent face of the indicia 20 to define a recess 28 that is rectangular in elevation. An opening 30 is formed in the offset portion 26; and that opening is generally rectangular and is close to the geometric center of that offset portion. A tang 32 with a reentrant bend 34 therein is formed at one edge of the opening 30; and the free end of that tang extends into and through that opening. The reentrant bend 34 in the tang 32 causes the fixed end of that tang to extend away from the opening 30, and then causes the free end of that tang to extend into and through that opening. Consequently, as shown particularly by FIG. 3, the free end of the tang 32 extends into and through the opening 30 in the offset portion 26 of the bracket 24.

The numeral 36 generally denotes the resilient clip which can be secued to the indicia 20 by means of the bracket 24. That resilient clip has a reentrant bend 38 t0 define the outer end thereof, has a bend 40 which displaces that outer bend from the plane of the long shank of that clip, and has a sharp bend 42 and a shallow bend 44 which displace the foot 45 of that clip from the shank of that clip. The foot 45 of that clip is dimensioned to readily telescope into the recess 28 defined by the offset portion 26 of the bracket 24 and the rear face of the indicia 20. Further, that foot has an opening 46 which will accommodate the free end of the tang 32 whenever that foot has been telescoped within the recess 28. If desired, a recess in the outer face of the foot 45 of the clip 36 could be used instead of the opening 46 in that foot.

As the foot 45 of the clip 36 is telescoped into the recess 28, the leading edge of that foot will engage the underface of the free end of tang 32 and move that free end away from the rear face of the indicia 20. That leading edge of that foot will move the free end of the tang 32 away from that rear face just far enough to enable the portion of that foot, intermediate that leading edge and the opening 46, to pass beneath the free end of that tang. Thereafter, that tang will move the free end thereof back. into the opening 46, as shown particularly by FIG. 3.

The free end of the tang 32 will effectively prevent accidental separation of the resilient clip 36 from the indicia 20. However, if it ever became desirable to remove that resilient clip from that indicia, the blade of a screwdriver or the point of some other tool could be inserted beneath the reentrant bend 34 of the tang 32 to force the free end of that tang out of the opening 46 in the foot 45 of the clip 36. While that free end of that tang was being held out of the opening 46, the foot 45 of the resilient clip could be moved out of the recess 28.

Whereas the drawing and accompanying description have shown and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the form of the invention without affecting the scope thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A fastening device for an interchangeable indicia which comprises:

(a) a sheet metal bracket which is securable to the rear face of said indicia,

(b) said bracket having a shallow offset portion which is spaced rearwardly of said rear face of said indicia and which can coact with said rear face of said indicia to define a pocket-like recess with one side thereof open,

(c) said offset portion of said bracket having an opening therein in register with said pocket-like recess,

(d) said bracket having a resilient tang extending from one edge of said opening and having a reentrant bend therein which causes the fixed end of said tang to extend away from said opening in said ofi'set portion of said bracket and away from said pocket-like recess and then to cause the free end of said tang to extend into and through said opening and into said pocket-like recess and toward said rear face of said indicia, and

(e) a resilient clip that has a foot which can be set adjacent to and parallel to said rear face of said indicia and can then be moved parallel to said rear face of said indicia through said open side of said pocket-like recess and into said pocket-like recess defined by said offset portion of said bracket and rear face of said indicia,

(f) said resilient clip having a shank which is angularly displaced from and which extends rearwardly from said foot, and hence from said bracket and from said rear face of said indicia, to dispose the outer end of said resilient clip rearwardly of and generally in register with said foot and with said bracket,

(g) said foot having an opening therein which is in register with the free end of said tang whenever said foot of said resilient clip is disposed within said pocket-like recess defined by said offset portion of said bracket and said rear face of said indicia,

(b) said free end of said tang and those portions of said foot of said resilient clip which define with opening coacting with said bracket to prevent accidental separation of said foot from said indicia,

(i) said tang extending transversely of said open side of said pocket-like recess, and said free end of said tang being inclined at a shallow angle to said rear surface of said indicia to enable the leading edge of said foot of said resilient clip to engage and bend said free end of said tang away from said rear face of said indicia as said foot is moved inwardly through said open side of said pocket-like recess,

(i) said tang being an integral portion of said bracket,

2. A fastening device for an interchangeable indicia which comprises:

(a) a sheet metal bracket which is securable to the rear face of said indicia,

(b) said bracket defining a shallow, pocket-like recess with one side thereof open,

(c) an opening at the rear of said bracket communicating with said pocket-like recess,

((1) said bracket having a resilient tang extending from one edge of said opening into and through said opening and into said pocket-like recess and extending toward said rear face of said indicia,

(e) said tang being biased to extend through said opening and into said pocket-like recess, and

(f) a connecting member having a foot element which can be set adjacent to and parallel to said rear face to said indicia and can then be moved parallel to said rear face of said indicia through said open side of said pocket-like recess and into said pocket-like recess,

(g) said connecting member having a shank which is angularly displaced from and which extends rearwardly from said foot element, and hence from said bracket and from said rear face of said indicia, to dispose the outer end of said connecting member rearwardly of and generally in register with said foot element nad with said bracket,

(h) said foot element having an opening therein which is in register with the free end of said tang whenever said foot element is disposed within said pocket-like recess,

(i) said free end of said tang interfitting closely within said opening of said foot element to prevent accidental separation of said foot element from said indicia,

(j) said tang extending transversely of said open side of said pocket-like recess, and said free end of said tang being inclined at a shallow angle to said rear surface of said indicia to enable the leading edge of said foot element of said connecting member to engage and bend said free end of said tang away from said rear face of said indicia as said foot element is moved inwardly through said open side of said pocket-like recess,

(k) said tang being an integral portion of said bracket.

3. A fastening device for an indicia which comprises:

(a) a bracket which is securable to the rear face of said indicia,

(b) said bracket defining a shallow, pocket-like recess with one side thereof open,

(0) an opening at the rear of said bracket communicating with said pocket-like recess,

(d) said bracket having a resilient tang extending from one edge of said opening into and through said opening and into said pocket-like recess and extending toward said rear face of said indicia,

(e) said tang having a reentrant bend therein which causes said tang to initially extend away from said opening and then to cause a free end of said tang to extend into and through said opening and into said pocket-like recess, and

(f) a connecting member having a foot element which can be set adjacent to and parallel to said rear face of said indicia and can then be moved parallel to said rear face of said indicia through said open side of said pocket-like recess and into said pocket-like recess,

(g) said connecting member having a shank which is angularly displacedfrom and which extends rearwardly from said foot element, and hence from said bracket and from said rear face of said indicia, to dispose the outer end of said connecting member rearwardly of said foot element and said bracket,

(h) said foot element having an opening therein which is in register with the free end of said tang whenever said foot element is disposed within said recess,

(i) said free end of said tang interfitting within said opening of said foot element to prevent accidental separation of said foot element from said indicia,

(j) said tang extending transversely of said open side of said pocketlike recess, and said free end of said tang being inclined at a shallow angle to said rear surface of said indicia to enable the leading edge of said foot element of said connecting member to engage and bend said free end of said tang away from said rear face of said indicia as said foot element is moved inwardly through said open side of said pocket-like recess,

(k) said tang-being an integral portion of said bracket.

4. A fastening device for an indicia which comprises:

(a) a bracket which is securable to the rear face of said indicia,

(b) said bracket defining a shallow, pocket-like recess with one side thereof open,

(c) an opening at the rear of said bracket communicating with said pocket-like recess,

((1) said bracket having a resilient tang extending from one edge of said opening into and through said opening and into said pocket-like recess and extending toward said rear face of said indicia,

(e) said tang having a reentrant bend therein which causes said tang to initially extend away from said opening and then to cause a free end of said tang to extend into and through said opening and into said pocket-like recess,

(f) said reentrant bend extending away from the bracket a suflicient degree to define a tool receiving space whereby the tang may be moved out of said opening, and

(g) a connecting member having a foot element which can be set adjacent to and parallel to said rear face of said indicia and can then be moved parallel to said rear face of said indicia through said open side of said pocket-like recess and into said pocketlike recess,

(h) said tang extending transversely of said open side of said pocket-like recess, and said free end of said tang being inclined at a shallow angle of said rear surface of said indicia to enable the leading edge of said foot element of said connecting member to engage and bend said free end of said tang away from said rear face of said indicia as said foot element is moved inwardly through said open side of said pocket-like recess,

(i) said foot element having an opening therein which is in register with the free end of said tang whenever said foot element is disposed within said pocketlike recess,

(j) said free end of said tang interfitting within said opening of said foot element to prevent accidental separation of said foot element from said indicia,

(k) said tang being an integral portion of said bracket.

5. A fastening device for an indicia which comprises:

(a) an indicia having a substantially flat body portion bounded at the edges by rearwardly extending flange means,

(b) said flange means defining a shallow depression area at the rear of said indicia,

(c) a shallow bracket which is securable within said depression area to the rear face of said indicia,

(d) said bracket extending from the said rear face up to no more than the limiting edge of said flange, (e) said bracket defining a pocket-like recess, with one side thereof open,

(f) an opening at the rear of said bracket communicating with said pocket-like recess,

(g) said bracket having a resilient tang extending into and through said opening and into said pocket-like recess and extending toward said rear face of said indicia,

(b) said tang being biased to extend through said opening and into said pocket-like recess, and

(i) a connecting member having a foot element which can be set adjacent to and parallel to said rear face of said indicia and can then be moved parallel to said rear face of said indicia through said open side of said pocket-like recess and into said pocket-like recess,

(j) said connecting member having a shank which is angularly displaced from and which extends rearwardly from said foot element, and hence from said bracket and from said rear face of said indicia, to dispose the outer end of said connecting member rearwardly of said foot element and said bracket,

(k) said foot element having an opening therein which is in register with the free end of said tang whenever said foot element is disposed within said pocketlike recess,

(1) said free end of said tang interfitting within said opening of said foot member to revent accidental separation of said foot from said indicia.

6. A fastening device for an indicia which comprises:

(a) an indicia having an substantially flat body portion bounded at the edges by rearwardly extending flange means,

(b) said flange means defining a shallow depression area at the rear of said indicia,

(c) a shallow bracket which is securable within said depression area to the rear face of said indicia,

(d) said bracket extending from the said rear face up to no more than the limiting edge of said flange,

(e) said bracket defining a pocket-like recess with one side thereof open,

(f) an opening at the rear of said bracket communicating with said pocket-like recess,

(g) said bracket having a resilient tang extending into and through said opening and into said pocket-like recess and extending toward said rear face of said indicia, and

(h) a connecting member having a foot element which can be set adjacent to and parallel to said rear face of said indicia and can then be moved parallel to said rear face of said indicia through said open side of said pocket-like recess and into said pocket-like recess,

(i) said foot element having a tang-retaining means in register with the free end of said tang whenever said foot element is disposed within said recess,

(j) said free end of said tang engaging said tang-retaining means to prevent accidental separation of said connecting member from said indicia,

(k) said connecting member having a shank which is angularly displaced from and which extends rearwardly from said foot element, and hence from said bracket and from said rear face of said indicia, to dispose the outer end of said connecting member rearwardly of said foot element and said bracket.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Steinberg 24-230 De Puy 40-142 Holder 40-140 Handte 248-424 Hoegger 248-224 Lowingef 40-140 Kneedler 24230 Botto 248-224 Simon 24230 X Lachenmeier 40-140 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Examiner.

S. M. BENDER, Assistant Examiner. 

6. A FASTENING DEVICE FOR AN INDICIA WHICH COMPRISES: (A) AN INDICIA HAVING AN SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT BODY PORTION BOUNDED AT THE EDGES BY REARWARDLY EXTEDNING FLANGE MEANS, (B) SAID FLANGE MEANS DEFINING A SHALLOW DESPRESSION AREA AT THE REAR OF SAID INDICIA, (C) A SHALLOW BRACKET WHICH IS SECURABLE WITHIN SAID DEPRESSION AREA TO THE REAR FACE OF SAID INDICIA, (D) SAID BRACKET EXTENDING FROM THE SAID REAR FACE UP TO NO MORE THAN THE LIMITING EDGE OF SAID FLANGE, (E) SAID BRACKET DEFINING A POCKET-LIKE RECESS WITH ONE SIDE THEREOF OPEN, (F) AN OPENING AT THE REAR OF SAID BRACKET COMMUNICATING WITH SAID POCKET-LIKE RECESS, (G) SAID BRACKET HAVING A RESILIENT TANG EXTENDING INTO AND THROUGH SAID OPENING AND INTO SAID POCKET-LIKE RECESS AND EXTENDING TOWARD SAID REAR FACE OF SAID INDICIA, AND (H) A CONNECTING MEMBER HAVING A FOOT ELEMENT WHICH CAN BE SET ADJACENT TO AND PARALLEL TO SAID REAR FACE OF SAID INDICIA AND CAN THEN BE MOVED PARALLEL TO SAID REAR FACE OF SAID INDICIA THROUGH SAID OPEN SIDE OF SAID POCKET-LIKE RECESS AND INTO SAID POCKET-LIKE RECESS, (I) SAID FOOT ELEMENT HAVING A TANG-RETAINING MEANS IN REGISTER WITH THE FREE END OF SAID TANG WHENEVER SAID FOOT ELEMENT IS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID RECESS, (J) SAID FREE END OF SAID TANG ENGAGING SAID TANG-RETAINING MEANS TO PREVENT ACCIDENTIAL SEPARATION OF SAID CONNECTING MEMBER FROM SAID INDICIA, (K) SAID CONNECTING MEMBER HAVING A SHANK WHICH IS ANGULARLY DISPLACED FROM AND WHICH EXTENDS REARWARDLY FROM SAID FOOT ELEMENT, AND HENCE FROM SAID BRACKET AND FROM SAID REAR FACE OF SAID INDICIA, TO DISPOSE THE OUTER END OF SAID CONNECTING MEMBER REARWARDLY OF SAID FOOT ELEMENT AND SAID BRACKET. 